Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period joined Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick on Sirius XM NHL Network Morning Skate on Tuesday. There, he was asked about the situations in Columbus and Toronto and how things will play out with both Zach Werenski and Auston Matthews.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
What Went Down With Zach Werenski and the Columbus Blue Jackets?
Gord Stellick: “So, like we talked about, just a unique off-season players would term wanting to go somewhere else. Now, the Ottawa situation: there was no noise for a bit. The air looked like it was cleared, but it really wasn’t. And Brady Tkachuk got traded to Florida.
So, Zach Werenski, boy, when we were talking to you, July 1st, heading to the start of free agency, it looked like he was going somewhere else. And now, him and Auston Matthews, it’s quiet in both situations. Does that mean it’s quiet? They’re going to take the long run, or could there be something maybe still festering on the back burner?”
Dave Pagnotta: “Well, if you take what Werenski says at heart, and he wants to compete and wants to stick around in Columbus if this team is going to put itself in position to compete. And they’ve got a lot of, not just him but (Kirill) Marchenko and (Dmitri) Voronkov needing a new deal as well, and so on. So there are some question marks, certainly more. So in Columbus, but Werenski wants to win, and I think he’s comfortable there. It’s just a matter of the organization stepping up in that regard.
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I think from Matthews side of things, I mean, he’s been adamant from the get-go, both publicly and quietly behind the scenes, that he wants to win in Toronto and wants to stick around if the team’s going to be competitive. He wants to be all about it and be part of it. So we’ll see how their season goes, how his season goes.
It’s one thing to want the team to do well, but at the same time, after a bit of a down season last year and maybe a couple back-to-back, you want to see him stepping up as well. And I think he’s due. I think he’s going to have a good season, a rebound type of season. If that’s the case, unless the team can push for a postseason, then he’s all in and going to continue to be all in with the Leafs.
The Columbus situation- what happens with them? They’ve got to get (Adam) Fantilli locked in, all of that stuff. There are a lot more question marks there with the Jackets than there would be with the Leafs at this stage with respect to their top guys.”
NHLRumors.com Note: During the NHL Player Media Tour, Zach Werenski doubled down on his comments about wanting to play in Columbus. Again, it is easy to say to clear the air after being traded to Dallas, before ultimately rejecting the deal after management called his bluff. It remains a big season in Columbus. What happens if the Blue Jackets don’t start off well or miss the playoffs? Does the trade request become a thing?
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Auston Matthews has never wanted to leave. But he put pressure on the Maple Leafs to make massive changes this offseason in case he was hesitant about staying. Matthews needs to show he can stay healthy again and play a full season. He has two years left on his deal and is not eligible for an extension until July. But as it is in Columbus, it is a big year in Toronto given all the changes.
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